22 April of every year, we celebrate Earth Day, to advance sustainability and climate action.

Cold winters are essential for biathlon as a sport and snow sports continue to experience the impact of a warming planet. Take the capital of one of the most successful nations in biathlon – Oslo. Holmenkollen is one of the most iconic venues of our sport, but the number of snow days has been shrinking for many years. Oslo has lost as many as 21 winter days in the past 30 years. And fewer winter days (temperatures below 0°C) directly result in fewer days of skiing.

Reducing C02 emissions and limiting global warming are key to protecting our winters. The IBU aims to be climate neutral by 2030 – for more information, take a look at the IBU Sustainability Report 2022. With projects such as the Biathlon Climate Challenges 2021 and 2022, the entire biathlon family has been able to contribute.

For this year’s Earth Day, we look at the little steps everyone can take to make more sustainable decisions and invest in our planet. Who better to ask than our athletes to see how they combine their training and travelling with being more sustainable?

Jessica Jislova (CZE): “I think it is important to find some compromise. There are small things that everyone can try to incorporate into their lives. Don’t let food go to waste, buy local products, avoid single-use plastic, try to avoid fast fashion, educate yourself and others – there are so many examples. I’m definitely not perfect in following all these tips but the most important thing is to try. It is better to do something small than nothing at all.”

Maya Cloetens (BEL): "I try to reduce the amount of meat I eat. I use a lot of eggs, tofu (all sorts of soy), seitan or protein yoghurts and cottage cheese. Although I always bring a protein source with me if needed during the season, I had almost always a veggie option in all the hotels."

Jules Burnotte (CAN): “I always try to train as close as I can from home.”

Anika Kozica (CRO): “Switch to solid shampoo and solid shower bars. They last longer, have less packaging and less plastic, too.”

Titus Clark (GBR): “Think about your car trips – see if you can share lifts with anyone and time it right.”

Lena Repinc (SLO): "Store leftovers and eat them with the next meal, pack yourself some lunch and bring it with you, so you won’t have to buy packaged meals. Bring reusable produce bags to the store you’re your groceries, use public transport and your bike."

Regina Ermits (EST): “Use cloth bags and try not to use plastic – also think through what you use and how you use it.”

Ukaleq Slettemark (GRL): "I don’t really buy meat but hunt it myself, and then I eat plant-based food too. I use as little energy as possible, take short showers, turn down the heat and unplug electric devices. I try my best not to buy stuff and have stopped buying new clothes. So I repair and buy used instead. I’m good at not throwing food away and using all stems and peels and leftovers. For all my travels, I climate compensate by planting X amount of trees that fit with how much CO2 the plane used."

For more information on Earth Day 2023, head over to www.earthday.org and for more sustainable tips and ideas, check out www.un.org/actnow.